Ore-separator.



H. J. STEWART & J. s. TUCKER.

ORB SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 11130.12, 1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. STEWART & J. S. TUCKER.

ORB SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, 1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

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UNTTE STATES PATENT @FFllQ.

I-IIRAM J. STEWART AND JAMES S. TUCKER, F CANTON, OKLAHOMA.

OPJE-SEPARATOR.

Application filed December 12, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HIRAM J. STEWART and James S. TUCKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Blaine and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separators; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ore separators and more especially to those of that type wherein the precious metals are separated from the ore in a dry state and by the use of a jigger; and the object of the same is to simplify the construction of such a machine and yet to extract a larger percentage of the precious metals than is possible with most of the dry separators now in common use. This object is carried out by providing the machine with two fans, one directing its blast obliquely upward through the jigger, and the other directing its blast horizontally throughout the length of a trunk whose floor is provided with peculiar riflles as set forth below.

Details are given in the follow specification and shown in the drawings wherein 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of this machine complete. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail f,of the tray for mercury or quicksilver.

Mounted on legs 1 are side sills 2 from which at one end rise A-shaped uprights whereof one side constitutes an elevator frame 8 and the other side a jigger frame 4, {and between the other ends of the sills 2 is carried a floor 5 constituting a trough which is covered by a plate or board 6 held removably by means of hooks 7 or otherwise. The A-shaped frames are braced by uprights 8 depending from their apeXes to the sills 2, and through said apeXes is journaled the main shaft 9 which may be driven in any suitable power as by means of the belt 10 illustrated in Fig. 2.

An elevator is located within the frame 3, and in the present instance is shown as consisting of an apron 11 having transverse slats 12 and moving over an idle drum 18 journaled at the lower end of the frame and a driving drum 14 fast on the main shaft 9 and by which the elevator is therefore Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 21,1213.

Serial No. 736,438.

driven. A rather coarse screen 19 is secured across the upper edges of the side bars of the elevator frame 3, for a purpose to appear below.

The jigger comprises a frame 20 movable in guides 21 on the inner faces of the side bars of the jigger frame 4, a wire screen 22 secured upon said frame, an apron 23 of rather coarse mesh cloth secured over the screen, and transverse slats or riiiles 24 secured across the apron and holding it and the screen upon said frame. This jigger is connected by a pitman rod 25 with a crank 26 in a shaft 2? which has a pulley 28 on one extremity belted as at 29 to a driving wheel on a shaft 46, and by the latter the crank shaft is rotated and the jigger reciprocated in its guides.

Disposed within the trough at the rear end of the structure is a trunk consisting of upright sides 30 secured to a bottom 81 which is provided in its upper face with transverse grooves 32 having upright front walls 38 and beveled or inclined rear walls 34 as best seen in Fig. 8, and upon the rear wall of each groove at a point just forward of the line where it united with the flat upper face 35 of said bottom 31, is secured a narrow strip of fabricpreferably flannel-as shown at 36. The ribs or riflies thus formed across the upper face of the trunk-bottom are omitted near its forward end which stands normally beneath the lower end of the jigger, and the fiat upper face 35 of the bottom at this point is covered with a sheet of fabric 37. A tray 38 having a recess 39 in its upper face is preferably disposed within the rear end of the trough and against the rear end of said trunk, said recess being adapted for the reception of quicksilver or mercury. A fan 40 of any suitable type is disposed beneath the elevator and jigger, and its shaft 46 is preferably journaled through said uprights 8. A second fan 41 of any suitable type has its shaft 42 mounted in bearings 43 beneath the sills 2, and one end of the shaft carries a pulley 44 connected by a belt 45 with another pulley on the shaft 46 from which it is rotated. The direction of movement of these fans is shown by the arrows in Fig. 8, as also the direction of movement of the elevator apron.

When this machine is to be used for separating precious metals from ore, the latter is thrown upon the screen 19 by hand or delivered upon the same by machinery or in any suitable way, and the larger lumps and rocks roll off this screen so that they are not treated by the machine. The smaller lumps and the finer particles and dust fall through the screen 19 onto the elevator apron 11, and by the slats are carried upward over the drum l t and are delivered onto the jigger, which latter is reciprocating as the double-headed arrow in Fig. 3 will indicate. The slats or riffles 24 on this jigger act as agitators to toss the material at each upward movement of the frame 20, and meanwhile the blast of air from the fan 4-0 passes through the screen 22 and apron 23 and blows away the lighter particles or dust. The heavier particles of the ore fall over the ritfies 2% onto the fabric sheet 31 of the trunk, and what particles of precious metal are not retained on the apron 23 of the jigger are caught in the fabric 31. mass of ore falling onto the forward end of said trunk is subjected to a blast of air from the fan 41, and this blast is confined between the sides 30 of said trunk and within the trough formed between this end of the sills 2 and the cover 6'. It results that the blast of air passes completely through the trunk, and whatever particles are not caught in the grooves 32 or by the strips 36 are blown out the rear end of the machine. We have found in practice that most precious metals .will be caught by said strips 36, but for the sake of extracting any partioles that may pass through this trunk we preferably provide the quicksilver tray 38.

From time to time the cover 6 is lifted, the trunk removed bodily from the trough, and another one substituted so that the working of the machine will not be interrupted, and this trunk taken away and subjected to proper treatment to remove the precious metals from its fabric.

While we have spoken of our preference for flannel for the strips 36 and sheets 31, any other suitable fabric may be supplied. Otherwise the materials and proportions of parts are not essential.

WVhat is claimed as new is:

1. The herein described trunk for ore con- The centrators comprising a bottom board hav ing its upper face fiat excepting for transverse grooves cut therein, the grooves having upright front walls and beveled rear walls, and fabric strips secured across said beveled walls near their juncture with said flat face; and upright sides at the edges of said board.

2. A dry ore separator comprising a fixed trunk having upright sides and a flat bottom with transverse grooves having upright front walls and beveled rear walls, strips of fabric secured across the beveled walls, a sheet of fabric secured across the front end of the bottom of the trunk, and means for directing a blast of air over said fabric sheet and throughout the length of said trunk.

3. In an ore separator, the combination with a trough open at both ends, and a cover for the trough, of a trunk having upright sides and a flat bottom with transverse grooves in it, strips of felt on certain walls of said grooves, the trunk being inserted within said trough and leaving the rear end of the latter unoccupied, means for feeding a blast of air into the front end of the trough, and a tray removably located within the trough at the rear end of said trunk and having a recess in its upper face for quicksilver, for the purpose set forth.

4:. The herein described trunk for ore eoncentrators comprising a substantially horizontal bottom board having its upper face flat excepting for transverse grooves cut therein throughout the rear portion of such board, the grooves having upright front walls and beveled rear walls, fabric strips secured across said beveled walls near their juncture with said flat face, and a fabric sheet secured across the flat face of said bot tom board at its front end; and upright sides secured to the edges of said board.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

' HIRAM J. STEWART.

JAMES S. TUCKER. Witnesses:

O. P. W'ILLIs, E. E. l/Vrnms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

